📘 Amoretti by Edmund Spenser

Prof. Suresh M Hosamani

Department of English

K.S.S Arts ,Commerce & Science College

Gadag

Amoretti by Edmund Spenser

For Graduate Students – Advanced Study Guide

(Prepared for in-depth literary analysis, critical thinking, and scholarly discussion.)

� I. INTRODUCTION TO AMORETTI

Author: Edmund Spenser (1552–1599)

Published: 1595
Genre: Elizabethan Sonnet Sequence
Form: Series of 89 sonnets and a concluding epithalamion (wedding hymn)

🔹 Overview:

Amoretti (Italian for “little�loves”) is a sonnet sequence written by Edmund Spenser

chronicling his courtship and eventual marriage to Elizabeth Boyle. Unlike the tragic love
tales found in sonnet sequences of contemporaries like Sidney (Astrophil and Stella) or
Shakespeare (Sonnet Sequence), Amoretti uniquely celebrates the journey of a fulfilled,
virtuous, and Christian love culminating in marriage.

� II. STRUCTURE AND FORM

🔹 Spenserian Sonnet Form:

 14 lines

 Three interlocking quatrains + a couplet

  Rhyme scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE

 Use of iambic pentameter

🔹 Sequence:

 89 sonnets – tracing a spiritual, intellectual, and emotional progression

 Concludes with Epithalamion – a�celebratory�poem�for�Spenser’s�own�wedding

� III. MAJOR THEMES

🔸 1. Love and Courtship

 Unlike Petrarchan longing, Spenser emphasizes a love that is mutual and eventually
fulfilled.

 Chaste love is idealized as noble and divine.

🔸 2. Spiritual vs. Earthly Love

 Christian and Neoplatonic ideals are blended.

 True love transcends physical attraction and moves toward divine union.

🔸 3. Virtue and Constancy

 The beloved (Elizabeth Boyle) is portrayed as pure, constant, and virtuous.

 Spenser critiques superficial beauty in favor of spiritual integrity.

🔸 4. Time and Mortality

 Meditation on the fleeting nature of youth and beauty.

 Immortality through poetry is a recurring motif (cf. Sonnet 75).

🔸 5. Art as Immortalization

 The poet believes in immortalizing the beloved through verse.

 Sonnet 75 is the best-known example ("One day I wrote her name upon the
strand...").

� IV. SELECTED SONNET ANALYSIS

🔹 Sonnet 1:

“Happy�ye�leaves�whenas�those�lily�hands…”

 Introduces�the�poet’s�adoration�and reverence.

 Books and poems as offerings to the beloved.

🔹 Sonnet 34:

Uses the metaphor of a ship lost at sea to depict separation and hope for reunion.

 Symbolizes the emotional turmoil of love.

🔹 Sonnet 67:

Depicts the poet as a hunter who ceases pursuit, only for the beloved to come willingly.

 A reversal of Petrarchan tradition.

🔹 Sonnet 75:

“One�day�I�wrote�her�name�upon�the�strand…”

 Famous meditation on love, mortality, and immortal verse.

 Earthly life is transient, but art endures.

� V. POETIC DEVICES & STYLE

 Imagery: Nature, religious, and courtly imagery dominate the sequence.

 Symbolism: Sea (emotion), flame (passion), light (virtue)

 Allegory: Love as a spiritual quest

 Allusions: Classical (Venus, Cupid) and Christian references

 Tone: Initially idealistic and reverential; becomes celebratory in the Epithalamion

� VI. HISTORICAL & LITERARY CONTEXT

🔹 Elizabethan Age:

 Flourishing of sonnet sequences.

 Influence of Petrarch, but Amoretti deviates by portraying successful love.

 Reflects Renaissance humanism and Christian morality.

🔹 Comparison with Contemporaries:

 Shakespeare: Focus on lust, betrayal, and darker sides of love.

 Sidney: Longing and despair.

 Spenser: Balanced portrayal, leading to spiritual fulfillment.

� VII. CRITICAL INTERPRETATIONS

1. Feminist Perspective:

o Presents an idealized yet respectful image of the woman.

o Elizabeth Boyle has more autonomy compared to female figures in other

sonnet sequences.

2. Neoplatonic Reading:

o Love as a ladder to reach divine beauty and eternal truths.

3. Christian Allegory:

o The�lover’s�journey�mirrors�spiritual salvation.

4. Autobiographical Reading:

o The�sequence�is�based�on�Spenser’s�real courtship with Elizabeth Boyle.

o Epithalamion confirms the real-life culmination of this relationship.

Amoretti by Edmund Spenser

🌹 Background: The Poet and His Love

Amoretti is not merely a collection of love poems—it’s�a�poetic autobiography of

Edmund�Spenser’s�courtship�of�Elizabeth�Boyle.�Unlike�most�Elizabethan�sonneteers�
who lament unrequited love, Spenser tells the rare story of mutual affection and
successful union.

The story unfolds in the form of 89 interconnected sonnets. It begins with admiration
from afar, passes through moments of hope and despair, and culminates in a holy
and joyous marriage—an ideal love story shaped by Christian values, patience, and
virtue.

� Part I: The First Glance – Love Begins (Sonnets 1–20)

The poet is enchanted by the beauty and virtue of a young lady. He compares her to
heavenly beings and tries to express his love through poetry.

 Sonnet 1: Spenser expresses joy that his verses will be touched by her hands and read
by her eyes.

 He sees her as divinely beautiful and prays his poems please her.

 His love is pure, reverent, and full of admiration.

But this stage is also marked by distance and uncertainty. She is modest, reserved,
and cautious—perhaps due to societal expectations or her own ideals.
 � Part II: The Struggle of Love – Obstacles & Rejections (Sonnets 21–60)

The�middle�section�portrays�Spenser’s�emotional battle. Though the love is mutual,

Elizabeth seems hesitant. The poet describes:

 Moments of coldness (Sonnet�30:�“My�love�is�like�to�ice,�and�I�to�fire”).

 The�beloved’s�silence and modesty are interpreted as rejection.

 He turns to nature and classical mythology for metaphors of longing and restraint.

But even in sorrow, Spenser never curses love—instead, he sees obstacles as tests of
faith and virtue. He affirms the moral and spiritual dimension of love.

� Part III: Hope and Consolation (Sonnets 61–75)

There is a turning point. The lady softens, and the poet begins to sense hope. These
sonnets are more confident and philosophical.

 Sonnet 67 (the "hunting" metaphor): The lady yields not to pursuit but to sincerity.

 Sonnet 75: Spenser writes her name in the sand—washed away by waves. He
promises to immortalize her through poetry.

They now share a spiritual connection—love is no longer just courtship, but an

eternal bond.

� Part IV: The Nearing of Union (Sonnets 76–89)

As they approach engagement, the sonnets are filled with celebration, prayer, and
reflection.

 Spenser contemplates the sanctity of marriage.

 He thanks God for guiding him through the trials of love.

 The beloved is seen not only as beautiful but as a vessel of grace.

The story culminates in mutual consent. Love is not conquered, but freely given. The
sequence ends not with heartbreak, but harmony.

� Finale: The Epithalamion – A Wedding Hymn

Although not technically part of Amoretti, Epithalamion is the climactic conclusion to

the story.

 It celebrates the wedding day—from dawn to night.

 There are invocations to muses and angels, blessings for children, and praise of the
bride’s�chastity and radiance.

 The�couple’s�union�is�portrayed�as�a�sacramental bond, blessed by both pagan and

Christian deities.

It is joyful, majestic, and spiritual—a unique Elizabethan love story that ends in
fulfillment, not frustration.

🌟 Moral and Emotional Arc of the Story

Phase Mood Theme

Admiration Reverence Beauty, spiritual longing

Rejection Pain, hope Patience, virtue

Acceptance Peace, reflection Mutual love

Union Joy, sanctity Marriage, fulfillment